Protective Mum

Gallery: WildlifePosted June 17, 2013144 views11 comments

Hey everyone! I wanted to start the week off with this adorable image captured from the Wild Eye photographic boat on the Chobe river. This mother hippo was nursing her small baby away from the main pod in a secluded channel up the Chobe river, far away from the main photographic areas. We kept a safe distance so as not to disturb her.

Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
f5.6 | 1/1000 SS | ISO-800
EV +0.7
About 90% of full frame image

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Brad Hill on June 17, 2013 at 5:43 PM

Hey Morkel,

I like this one a LOT. Great reflection, sweet lighting, and the DoF looks spot-on to me. The positioning of the calf is just great...small version doesn't do justice to the image (or the calf) but the larger version is just great! So cute...and everything else in the image works so well too! Very well done...simply an excellent image!

Cheers...

Brad

Registered on May 29, 2007, 431 Posts, 6061 Comments

Comment posted by Martin Dunn on June 17, 2013 at 5:46 PM

Morkel, the detail on your hippo mum is great. The texture of the skin with all those scars tells a story.
Good detail and nice DoF. The baby is certainly cute and the fact that it is facing the camera is a bonus.
Overall though, it is not an image that I can see myself looking at for any length of time. For me it is not as atmospheric as most of your photos and lacks the wonderful light that makes most of your pictures - that I have seen - really special.

Registered on February 20, 2013, 198 Posts, 1011 Comments

Comment posted by Max Waugh on June 17, 2013 at 7:13 PM

The little one is quite cute, but I'm impressed by momma's battle scars.

Nice colors with the green grass, Morkel. A centered composition like this normally wouldn't work, but I think it makes sense with the reflection.

Max

Registered on September 26, 2008, 428 Posts, 2329 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on June 17, 2013 at 11:42 PM

Beautifully composed and technically excellent. The baby hippo really makes it special though!

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on June 18, 2013 at 8:24 AM

A beautiful frame! What a pleasure to view large frame! I missed the baby hippo in the thumbnail.
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on June 18, 2013 at 12:44 PM

This lacks some nice light indeed, but the scars and the baby provide interesting elements that do make up for that.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Gavin on June 18, 2013 at 2:18 PM

Spectacular! I assume the safe distance was not only so as not to disturb her, but also so she would not "disturb" you!

Registered on August 14, 2008, 293 Posts, 1250 Comments

Comment posted by William Bickle on June 18, 2013 at 3:11 PM

Hello Morkel

Great to see the little guy, So small compared to Mom ! The reflection is very impressive,
The large version is Great to see her in Detail with the excellent lighting. Those Back & side scars look painful?
a Veteran Cow ?

Thanks

Bill

Registered on June 13, 2011, 183 Posts, 1702 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on June 20, 2013 at 3:03 PM

Adorable shot with such clarity and nice reflections. Mom looks like she got in quite a few scrapes, with all the texture on her skin.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on June 24, 2013 at 2:25 PM

Really cool. It would have been over the top if the little one could have had a bit more space over his head and ears to emphasize his presence more.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on July 4, 2013 at 6:31 PM

Thanks a bunch for your kind comments, friends! Glad you liked it...

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments